Umbrella.



B. EV SUTLIVE.

UMBRELLA.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1911v Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Witnesses a IBIRDWELL E. SUTLIVE, 01E KEOKUK, IOWA.

UMBRELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Application filed March 20, 1911. Serial No. 615,679.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BIRDWELL E. SUTLIVE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Umbrella, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of the invention, broadly speaking, is to provide an umbrellastructure so constituted that when the umbrella is inverted from theposition in which it is carried when in use, and disposed with the pointof the staff downwardly, any moisture which may have accumulated in thevicinity of the notch, will readily find its way out of the umbrellastructure, thereby preventing a deterioration of any part of theumbrella which is affected by moisture.

Another object of the invention is to provide an umbrella structure soconstituted that it will readily drain away any moisture finding its waybetween the cloth body of the umbrella and the flexible disk whichserves to space the ribs apart from the cloth body of the umbrella.

Another object of the invention is to provide an umbrella cap, which,although thoroughly eflicient to prevent water from running down thestaff of the umbrella when the umbrella is in use, will, nevertheless,permit the accumulated moisture in the umbrella to find its Wayoutwardly, when the umbrella is inverted and disposed with the point ofthe staff downwardly.-

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists inthenovel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described,delineated in the accompanying drawings, and claimed, it beingunderstood that, within the scope of what is claimed, divers changes inthe form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may bemade, without departing from the spiritof the invention, or sacrificingany of the advantages thereof.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a fragmental longitudinal section of anumbrella structure embodying the present invention, parts being shown inelevation; Fig. 2 is a de tailed perspective of the notch; Fig. 3 is adetailed perspective of the washer which is superposed upon the notch;Fig. 1 is a detailed perspective of the washer shown in Fig. 3, thewasher, however, being inverted, to show the opposite side thereof fromthat disclosed in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective of a ringwhich is supported by the washer shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a detailedperspective of the annular member which rests upon the washer shown inFig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective of the annular member shown inFig. 6, the elements, however, being inverted; Fig. 8 is a detailedperspective of the tube which rests upon the annular member shown inFigs. 6 and 7; Fig. 9 is a detailed perspective of the cup which forms apart of the cap; Fig. 10 is a detailed perspective of the hood withwhich the cup shown in Fig. 9 is assembled, to form the cap; and Fig. 11is a sectional detail of a modification.

The several elements which go to make up the umbrella structure, will bedescribed briefly, in order to point out their relative positions uponthe staff of the umbrella, structural details being dealt withsubsequently.

In the drawings, the staff of the umbrella is denoted by the numeral 1,Fig. 1 showing the relative positions of the parts when the umbrella isopened and in use.

To the staff 1 of the umbrella, the notch 2 is secured in any desiredmanner, and upon the notch is superposed a washer 3. Resting upon thewasher 3 and surrounding the staff 1, is a spacing disk 4:, ordinarilyfashioned from cloth, the spacing disk serving to separate the ribs ofthe umbrella from the cloth body thereof, adjacent the point where thenotch 2 is assembled with the staff 1. Resting upon the spacing disk 4,is a ring 5, supporting an annular mem' her 6, the member 6 piercing thecloth body 7 of the umbrella.

Surrounding the staff 1, and resting upon the body 7 of the umbrella isa tube 8, carrying a washer 9, ordinarily of leather. Superposed uponthe tube 8 and the washer 9, is the cap portion of the structure, thesame being denoted generally by the numeral 10. At this point it may bestated that the tube 8 is a useful, but not absolutely indispensableelement, the tube being inserted into the structure, or omittedtherefrom, as the taste of the manufacturer may dictate.

The notch 20 and the washer 3 constitute a supporting structure for theremaining elements of the device.

Passing now to a detailed description of the notch 2, and noting Figs. 1and 2, and

presupposing that the umbrella is in use (in the like may be clearlyunderstood), the

lower face of the notch 2 is inclined from the periphery of the notchtoward the staff 1, .as denoted by the numeral 11. The notch 2'comprises the usual flanges 12, and 12, the flange 12 having openings14, to permit a folding of the ribs of the umbrella, the flange 12having openings 14, communicating with grooves 16 extendedlongitudinally of the neck 15 of the notch, and located in the outersurface of the notch. V

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 in which the Washer which rests upon thenotch 2 is clearly shown, it will be seen that the washer is supplied inits inner circumference, with longitudinally extended ribs 17, definingbetween them, channels 18. The outer faces of the ribs 17 slantinwardly, toward the axis of the staff 1, as'denoted by the numeral 19.The washer 3 is equipped with a flange 20, outstanding beyond the bodyportion of the washer.

I Referring to Figs. 6 and 7 for a clear understanding of the annularmember 6, it will be seen that the same is equipped in its inner.circumference with a plurality of longitudinally extended ribs 21,defining channels 22 between them. The annular member further includes aflange 23, outstanding peripherally, for a purpose to be described 7hereinafter, beyond the flange portion 20 of the Washer 3. The annularmember 6 also includes a neck 24, embracing the staff 1 and the neck 15of the notch 2, the elements 15 and 24 being, as clearly seen in Fig. 1,spaced slightly apart.

Noting Fig. 8, it will be seen that the tube 8 is a bell shapedstructure, equipped with a plurality of fingers 25, terminating, whendesired, in inwardly projecting teeth 26, adapted to bear upon the body7 of the umbrella. The member 8 terminates in a neck 27, conforming tothe cross section of the staff 1.

To explain more fully the use of the tube 8, it may be stated that thiselement may, when desired, be inserted as shown, between the cloth body7 of the umbrella and the leather washer 9. The purpose of the tube 8 isto permita proper drainage between the body 7 and the washer 9, thelatter, when the umbrella is closed and disposed point downwardly,serving as a cup, retaining moisture between itself and the body 7.However, when the tube 8 is employed, any water received between thebody 7 and the washer 9 will drain away between the fingers '25 of thetube 8. The primary function of the tube 8 is therefore evident, theteeth 26 serving to space the tube 8 from the body 7, so that the watermay pass between the fingers 25. V V

The cap 10 may be of any form, but in the present instance, it isdepicted as a composite structure, including a bell shaped hood 28,terminating in a neck 29, there being an opening 30 in the shoulderoccurring where the body of the hood merges into the neck 29 thereof.The cup portion 31 of the cap 10 embraces the hood 28, and is, in itsturn, supplied with one or more peripheral openings 32. The cup 31 isconvexed, as shown at 33 and the openings 32 are positioned, preferably,in the upper portion of the cup, and within the contour of the convexedportion 33 thereof, for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

In the form shown in Fig. 11, the part 50, corresponding to the element31, is fashioned solid, a hole 51 being bored through the part 50 andthe tube 8.

Presupposing that the umbrella is closed, that end of the staff 1 towhich the letter A is applied, being disposed downwardly, it will benoted that any liquid accumulating between the notch 2 and the handledend of the staff 1, will be received by the inclined face 11 of thenotch 2, this inclined face 11 serving to direct the liquid into theopenings 14 and thence through the grooves 16, into the openings 30 inthe cap 10, the liquid thus finding its way out of the umbrellastructure. Moreover, any liquid which may accumulate between the notch 2and the washer 3, will find its way outwardly between the notch and thewasher, for the reason that the washer, as shown in Fig. 3, isprovided'with the channels 18. The ring 5 fits so closely to the clothdisk 4, and the disk 4 fits so closely to the washer 3 that there willbe no occasion for drainage between the disk 4 and the ring 5 upon theone hand, nor between the disk 4 and the washer 3 upon the other hand.When the umbrella is stood point down, any water accumulating upon thedisk 4 will drain across the end face of the washer 3 and through thechannels 18, or else pass between the ring 5 and the member 6, throughthe spaces 22 between the ribs 21.

From the foregoing it will be seen that any liquid accumulating insideof the ulnbrella, will find a ready exit into the cap 10, and out of thecap 10, through the openings 30 and 32.

As shown in Fig. 1, the flange 23 of the annular member 6 outstandsperipherally beyond the flange 20 of the washer 3. Therefore, when theumbrella is closed, the spacing disk 4 will be folded over the peripheryof the washer 3, the cloth body 7 of the umbrella being folded over theperiphery of the annular member 6, the spacing disk 4 and the body 7 ofthe umbrella being thus held apart, when the umbrella is closed, thepassage of moisture between the members 4 and 7 being thus facilitated,these members being spaced apart, so that they may readily dry out; andin this connection it may be stated that all of the structureshereinbefore referred to as constituting drainage means, likewiseconstitute means whereby the interior of the umbrella may be effectivelyventilated.

Although the openings 32 in the cup portion 31 of the cap 10 may bepositioned in any desired manner, the openings are ordinarily disposedas shown in Fig. 1, within the periphery of the conveXed portion 33 ofthe cup. The advantage incident to this disposition of the openings 32is that when the umbrella is in use, water will not flow lown the pointof the staff 1, and into the openings 32; although, when the umbrella isinverted, and closed, any water which may have accumulated within theumbrella structure, will find its way outwardly, through the openings32.

It will of course be understood that the channels 18 in the washer 3,are alined with the longitudinal grooves 16 in the neck 15 of the notch2, the effective cross sectional areas of the drainage openings betweenthe washer and the notch being thus enlarged.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. In anumbrella, a notch; and a washer surrounding and resting upon 'the notch,the inner face of the washer having a series of longitudinal ribs,defining channels affording a drainage between the washer and the notch.

2. In an umbrella, a stafi a notch secured to the staff; a washersurrounding and resting upon the notch, the inner face of the washerhaving a series of longitudinal ribs, defining channels aifording adrainage between the washer and the notch; and a cap upon the staif,having an outlet opening adapted to discharge the water which drainsbetween the washer and the notch.

3. In an umbrella, a supporting structure including a notch; a spacingdisk upon the supporting structure; and an annular member superposedupon the disk, the annular member having a longitudinal channel in itsinner face, permitting drainage between the annular member and the disk.

4. In an umbrella, a supporting structure including a notch; a spacingdisk upon the supporting structure; a ring resting upon the disk; and anannular member supported upon the ring, the annular member having alongitudinal channel in its inner face, permitting a drainage betweenthe annular member and the ring.

5. In an umbrella, a supporting structure including a notch; a spacingdisk upheld by the supporting structure; and an annular member supportedupon the disk, the annular member having longitudinal channels in itsinner face, permitting a drainage between the annular member and thedisk.

6. In an umbrella, a washer; a spacing disk supported thereon; anannular member supported upon the disk and having a chan nel in itsinner face, permitting a drainage between the disk and the annularmember; an umbrella covering upon the annular member; the annular memberoutstanding beyond the washer, thereby when the covering is folded overthe annular member, and when the disk is folded over the washer, thecovering and the disk will be spaced apart.

7 In an umbrella, a notch provided with a longitudinal groove; a washersurrounding the notch and having a channel adapted to be alined with thegroove; a spacing disk resting upon the washer; a ring superimposed uponthe spacing disk; and an annular member superposed upon the ring, theannular member having a channel provided with outlets upon both sides ofthe ring.

8. In an umbrella, a supporting structure; an umbrella covering thereon;an annular member interposed between the supporting structure and thecovering, and having a channel permitting liquid to pass between theannular member and the supporting structure; and a cap surrounding thecovering and having an opening adapted to discharge the liquid passingbetween the annular member and the supporting structure.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BIRDWELL E. SUTLIVE.

Witnesses:

HOWARD W. WOOD, Enw. G. WALSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

